Reasons Why ABBA Deserves All the Success They Earned

It probably wouldn't be much of a challenge for you to guess a few of the top 20 richest rockstars of all time. There's Paul McCartney, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John. I mean, most of them go without saying.

But something you may not know is that Bjorn Ulvaeus and Anne-Frid Lyngstad both made the list, each with a networth of $300 million.

Surely you've heard of Ulvaeus and Lyngstad, the lead singer and the producer of Swedish pop-rock supergroup Abba. But if you've been living under a rock for the past 48 years, Abba (which is an acronym for each of the four members' first names) is a highly distinguished band formed in 1972 that quickly became one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of pop music.

And although their popularity peaked in the mid 70's, Abba is timeless, and holds lasting relevance almost half a century later. Even those who claim to be Abba-haters can't help but sing along to Dancing Queen or tap their toe to Take a Chance when it comes on the radio.

Each of their songs (which range in style from disco to slow blues to Broadway-esque show tunes) are masterfully rendered, and have something new and enticing to reveal with each listening.

Does Your Mother Know

If you've read my other posts, you'll have heard all about "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." But another one of my favourite musicals is "Mamma Mia!" which bases its plot and music entirely around Abba's top releases.  

Along with their wide range of genres, I think one of the reasons Abba's songs translate so easily into a Broadway show is because of the narrative element of their lyrics (which amazingly, they wrote and performed before they even spoke English.)

Take the story behind Dancing Queen for instance: a girl who's a little too "young and sweet" goes into a club that's a little too mature, looking to have some fun on a Friday night.

But after a couple of months of listening to nothing but Abba, I started formulating theories about another one of their hits: Does Your Mother Know. Sung by one of Abba's male leads, Does Your Mother Know tells of an older man advising a free-spirited girl to "take it easy."

If you think about it, Dancing Queen and Does Your Mother Know are two different takes of the exact same story.

That's one of the things I love about Abba's lyrics. Not only are the stories captivating, but they also open up the opportunity to connect and interpret them through your own perspective, and sometimes through the viewpoint of your own experiences.

And when you delve deeper into the history of the band members, the source of their alluring lyrics become evident. From their struggles with poverty to abusive parents to marital trials, their songs have a plaintive quality that comes from a very real, authentic place.

Kisses of Fire

In my opinion, Abba are some of the most masterful writers of compelling melodies in all of pop history.

For example Kisses of Fire- the B-side of Does Your Mother Know- has a melody that keeps listeners engaged right from the first note. You think you can predict exactly where the melody is going, but it ends up turning in completely unexpected directions.

What starts as a lyrical ballad turns into an up-tempo pop number, and then gradually adjusts into a poignant soul song

And yet somehow, each individual note falls into place, and by the time it's over, the whole piece feels like a complete unit.

Super Trouper 

Original lyrics and melody aren't the only elements of the group's music that makes it so sensational, though.

The choral style imitated by the opening few measures of Abba's 1980 single, Super Trouper, would typically be arranged for male and female voices, and would adopt a four-part harmony. The soprano and alto lines would have an equal spread from the tenor and bass lines, and the similar distance between each part would cause a balanced, rooted sound.

But in the case of Super Trouper, the harmonies are created exclusively by female voices, and the shorter distance between each line causes for really tight, crisp harmonies. Not to mention the airy and almost angelic timbre of the female voices.

All of Abba's harmonies are so distinct because of the creative application their two vocal leads' similar ranges.

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Between their storylike lyrics, inventive melodies, and compelling harmonies, Abba has such an unparalleled and distinct sound. Or in the worlds of Carl Magnus Palm, author of the band's biography, "to sound like Abba, you have to be Abba."

Even though not each of their songs is necessarily a masterpiece, they took risks and experimented unapologetically in previously unprecedented ways.

And that's why Abba deserves all the success they earned.